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Man Up

That’s the word from el Heraldo’s house feminist re Obama’s “Nerd Herd.” While cutting remarks about men’s manliness are … hurtful, Boston Herald’s Margery Eagan cuts to the essential point men and women have always known, even through the depths of 1960s bra-burning feminism. Leadership requires presence. People look to primeval, know-it-when-you-see-it evidence of authority. 

That said, the mythical “Revenge of the Nerds” theme* tells us that brains can best brawn, and women insist smart is sexy. I’d suggest the Obama admin’s problem is not so much the nerd factor. It’s the raging hypocrisy/bad ideas overload. Nerd only works as nerd smart. Meanwhile the boss … who does have the strong jaw/abs/swagger thing going on, and isn’t stupid … seems to be missing something. You know, the inspiring confidence, rallying people in times of hardship, knowing the right thing to say, knowing the right things to do parts. A little too much stumbling, saying the wrong thing, backtracking. Empty suit? We’ll see.

Here’s Margery, change-hoping Obamist, hoping his team won’t fail in the most fundamental way:

We’ve heard the jokes: “Every time Geithner opens his mouth, my house loses half its value.” Or this: “What’s with the pointy ears? He’s Son of Spock, from Vulcan and the Starship Enterprise.” Thank God his voice is lower than Orszag’s. But it cracks constantly. Let’s face it. He’s a squirrelly, squirrelly guy.

Does this matter? Absolutely. If you can’t deliver your message, your message doesn’t get through. If you can’t inspire confidence, we’ll remain basket cases. Orszag and Geithner may be The Best and Brightest. I hope so. But neither could inspire me to cross the street.

The best presidents have long understood the American machismo mandate. FDR never let himself be photographed in his wheelchair. How many pictures did you see of Ronald Reagan riding horses and chopping wood? Of George Bush No. 1 commandeering his macho man cigarette boat, the aquatic equivalent of a Hummer? Of George No. 2, before it all went south, clearing brush down in Crawford sporting a 10-gallon Texas belt buckle?

Mike Dukakis never recovered from his infamous tank shot, nor Jimmy Carter from his “killer rabbit” attack. And Bill Clinton made advances on every woman, dead or alive.

I know. Obama, he of the cool shades and passable jump shot, is president. Yet now more than ever we need Marlboro Men around him, Clint “Make My Day” Eastwood types. Manly men. Rugged men. With baritones. Obama’s money men? They look like wusses and sound like girls.

Re Margery and feminism, by the way, I should add she’s the free-thinking variety.

Ha. Instapundit reader does his best to man up this crowd with tights and muscles. Cruelly leaves out Geithner. Botchmen.

Malkin: Man and Superman.

Speaking of smaht, wicked smaht, try too smaht for their own good. Riehl on Wall Street’s “Quants.”

Surber: Eagan, Crittenden … nerd experts. Yeah, that’s right. And I’ll tell you what. I’m not only president of the Nerd Club for Men, er, Manly Club for Nerds … never mind.

* The lofty ancients actually cautioned against being too smart. Look what happened to Icarus. Tower of Babel? Real smart. Don’t eat the apple, and whatever you do, don’t open Pandora’s box. But folk wisdom and scripture also often zero in on nerd power, triumph of the weak through wile. David and Goliath. Kid’s sling beats scary giant. Hansel and Gretel, kidnapped kids outsmart the witch.

Topics: Obama, geekism, men, sexism, western civilization, women

  Posted by Jules Crittenden at 9:33 am on Tuesday, March 10, 2009

One Response to “Man Up”

1. RebeccaH Says:
   March 10th, 2009 at 2:28 pm

   who does have the strong jaw/abs/swagger thing going on

   I don’t understand this admiration for Obama’s body. To me, he looks like chocolate pudding that came out of a muscle mold.

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